In order to prevent injuries during surgical procedures, current operating room practice requires that all “sharp” instruments, including, for example, scalpels, needles, skin hooks, and other sharp-ended instruments, to be securely placed within a “neutral zone” from which the instrument can be retrieved by another member of the operating room staff. No “sharp” instruments are transferred directly from one operating staff member (i.e., surgeon, first assistant, scrub technician, etc.) to another. Conventional surgical instrument containers are discarded as biohazard waste following the completion of a surgical procedure.
Accordingly, there is a need in the pertinent art for containers and container systems that provide a clearly delineated “neutral zone” for placement of surgical instruments. There is a further need in the pertinent art for containers and container systems that are re-useable and that can withstand autoclave sterilization.